The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

A Year with the Brilliant Minds at Studio Ghibli

The birthplace of classic anime films such as Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, Studio Ghibli occupies a near legendary position in film history. Granted unfettered access to the notoriously insular studio, this revealing documentary follows the three men who are the lifeblood of Ghibli -- producer Toshio Suzuki, the elusive and influential "other director" Isao Takahata, and Miyazaki -- over the course of a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Takahata's The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.

The result is a rare "fly on the wall" glimpse of the inner workings of one of the world's most celebrated animation studios, and an insight into the dreams, passion and singular dedication of these remarkable creators.

Winner of The Documentary Award from The WIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards and nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oslo Films from the South Festival

"Heartfelt and moving..." - The Guardian

"This seemingly ordinary biographical documentary about the retiring animation master unfolds, at a deceptively gentle pace, into a work of immense beauty." - Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Comments (2)

John

Knox County Public Library•6 months ago

As the saying goes, "never meet your heroes."
While it is interesting to get a behind the scenes look at the Ghibli studios, in the end this doc mostly reveals the all too creaky and human machinations of this factory of imagination.
That is, you get producers fretting over ...Read more

As the saying goes, "never meet your heroes."
While it is interesting to get a behind the scenes look at the Ghibli studios, in the end this doc mostly reveals the all too creaky and human machinations of this factory of imagination.
That is, you get producers fretting over marketing and how they can mine as many bucks as possible from the public, and a look at an aging genius who mostly comes off like a bit of a crank who'd rather just be drawing than worrying about profits and documentary crews getting in his face.

A very rare glimpse into the life and mind of a brilliant creator of award-winning animated features like 'Spirited Away.' Hayao Miyazaki is not only an incredibly talented artist, but also a compassionate grandfather. I love this documentary so much!

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